New startup from the Advanced Technology Research Council’s VentureOne is using AI and autonomous robotics to conserve natural ecosystems, starting with mangroves and expanding to other habitats
At the International Mangrove Conservation and Restoration Conference in Abu Dhabi, VentureOne, the commercialization arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), unveiled Nabat, a new climate tech company that aims to conserve and restore mangroves and other ecosystems in the region through AI and robotics.
Nabat showcased its cutting-edge technology, including drones, AI-powered software and flexible seeding mechanisms, which it will use to conserve and restore thousands of hectares of mangroves across the UAE over the next seven years. Mangroves store up to five times more carbon than rainforest trees and are a critical part of the UAE’s ecosystem and the global fight against climate change.
“Nabat is a perfect example of how the UAE is using cutting-edge technology to serve humanity,” said HE Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary-General of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). “By merging innovation and science, we are driving efforts to restore ecosystems, enhance biodiversity and build climate resilience to accelerate our country’s transition to net zero.”
“Technology and nature are often seen as two opposing elements – but when we combine technology and scientific research to solve critical problems, technology can become one of nature’s most powerful allies,” said Dr Najwa Aaraj, CEO of the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) and the developer of the technology behind Nabat. “Our system helps solve several critical conservation challenges, one of the most important being data collection. No two ecosystems are the same – each requires a tailored, data-driven approach.”
